Scamander
by Sable Supernova
Summary: A collection of three short scenes about the life of Mrs Scamander, Newton's mother, set in three distinct parts of her life.
1. A New Chapter

**Written for:  
Mother's Day Event at Hogwarts:** Mrs Scamander and Newton Scamander  
 **If You Dare Challenge:** 168\. Rest, Relax, Refresh and Renew  
 **Chocolate Frog Cards Challenge:** Hestia Carrow Prompts - Domestic, Family, Mighty, Love  
 **Valentine-Making Challenge:** Lollipop – Write about a child  
 **200 Characters in 200 Days:** Newton Scamander  
 **Words:** 731

* * *

 **A New Chapter**

Florence was tired. The day had been long, and her dear husband had been absent for most of it. His job at the Ministry was taking up a lot of his time at the moment, what with the mighty trouble they were having with a vampire in Yorkshire, so Florence had to take on more of the domestic than she usually would. This would have been fine, of course, if not for the four-year-old boy who insisted on helping, and thus made every job take twice as long.

But Florence was a patient woman, particularly where her son was concerned, and the wonder and excitement in Newton's eyes was comfort enough. He'd helped her as she pottered around the garden pruning the Snargaluffs by watering the mandrakes and fanged geraniums. He'd also come with her to feed the hippogriffs. That was always Newton's favourite job. He had such an affinity with the beasts, he reminded her of herself when she was nine years old, staring up at one of them for the first time in her life at the hippogriff sanctuary in Romania. Newton always bowed so low his nose almost touched the ground, and he loved to sink his head into the feathers of their neck once they'd eaten and settled down to rest.

Florence had two pregnant hippogriffs at the moment, which was wonderful news for revenue, but they were troublesome beasts when carrying young as they could be very temperamental – changing their minds over whether they appreciated your presence or not in a matter of seconds. Florence had needed to check on them today, which took a lot of flattery and gentle coaxing, but within an hour Florence was content with the knowledge that both sets of mother and young were strong and well.

She'd made dinner for the three humans – herself and her family – at around half past six. Her husband had made it home to eat, but he'd head out again straight afterwards for a private meeting with the Minister himself.

But now, Florence was able to rest, all her work complete until tomorrow.

She was sat in the chair in the living room, her son on her knee. He'd brought a book through from his father's study, one he wasn't allowed to read on his own because it was very expensive. It was actually never intended as a children's book at all, but Newton was fascinated by it. It was a collection, as much as anything. On each double page spread, there was an illustration of a magical creature, and on the other page was all the known facts about it. Florence and her husband had annotated the pages with additional information they'd uncovered, and one day they hoped to publish a new edition of the book.

Florence opened the book to the first creature.

"What's that, then?" she asked her son.

"That's a phoenix!" Newton exclaimed, fascinated by the colours in the illustration.

"And what's special about phoenixes?" she asked him.

"When they die, they erupt into flames and come back alive as a baby bird all over again! Some people think they can live forever," Newton told her excitedly.

"Well done. And what's this one?" she asked, turning the page.

"Hippogriff!" Newton shouted.

"Not so loud, Newt!" Florence scolded with a smile.

"They're special because they live in our back garden," he giggled.

Florence laughed, her eyes full of motherly love. "That they do!" she agreed.

She flicked through the pages, and Newton was able to tell her about every one, bright eyed and eager. It wasn't the best bedtime tale, Florence considered, as she saw how much it made her son come alive at the magical creatures. She couldn't help but indulge him, however, knowing how the book was his firm favourite.

As she sat with him, she found herself being caught up in his wonder, remembering her own childhood of travel with her parents, which seemed like such a long time ago already. She'd been tired and worn down by the hard day, but something about Newton invigorated her again, filling her with the youth she'd forgotten she still possessed.

She'd thought having a child was the end of her adventure, and the start of his, but she was starting to see she might have been wrong. Newton hadn't ended her adventure at all; he'd only made himself the next chapter.


	2. A New Family Member

**Written for:  
Mother's Day Event at Hogwarts:** Mrs Scamander and Rolf Scamander  
 **If You Dare Challenge:** 289\. Little Creature  
 **Chocolate Frog Cards Challenge:** Dorcas Meadowes Prompts - Fast, Kind-hearted, Simple, Glow  
 **200 Characters in 200 Days:** Rolf Scamander  
 **Words:** 570

* * *

 **A New Family Member**

If Florence Scamander had ever thought about where she'd be on her one-hundred and eleventh birthday, she almost certainly wouldn't have considered sticking her hand inside yet another hippogriff to help the creature give birth would have been just one of the highlights of her day.

Not that, of course, she enjoyed placing her hand inside the orifice of a hippogriff, because even Florence had to admit that part wasn't much fun. She knew, however, there was nothing quite like the joy of watching a new mother help the little creature into position to begin suckling, and she knew that within the hour, the foal would spread its weak, featherless wings for the first time and attempt to dry them off, shortly before attempting to stand and take its first steps. There seemed to be a glow around the creatures as the babe nursed.

The kind-hearted woman had been breeding hippogriffs for nearly a hundred years, and she'd seen this scene innumerable times, but still, her heart swam with warmth at the sight. Once the birth was over, Florence sat on a rickety old stool, leaning on her walking stick, watching the new mother and foal.

It was some time in the late morning, and Florence was aware her family were coming over for lunch, but she wasn't certain when to expect them. She was expecting Newton and Porpentina to arrive first, but she wasn't worried about them yet.

She was too busy enjoying her time with the newest edition to her strange little family in the form of the four-legged creature in front of her. It was such a simple thing, but one still able to bring her so much joy. She was, however, shaken from her reverie by a small boy with a very big voice as her great-grandson toddled into the barn.

"Gran-granma!" he shouted, grinning from ear to ear as he fumbled over the words and ran towards her as fast as he could manage.

"Shh, Rolf!" she told him, smiling as she welcomed him into her arms. "You'll scare her!" she whispered.

As Florence picked Rolf up and placed him on her lap, his eyes turned in the same direction as hers, and he saw what she'd been looking at.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, as he saw the hippogriffs. "Daddy, it's a baby!" he called over his shoulder to Florence's grandson, his father.

"It is," Florence told him. "He was born only an hour ago, and his mummy's been very good. What do you think we should call him?"

Rolf frowned as he thought hard, and Florence imagined all the words he knew flitting through his brain on an old film reel.

"Dottery!" Rolf eventually announced, looking decidedly pleased with himself.

"Dottery! Oh, that's a wonderful name! Is that by any chance named after Ottery?" Florence asked him, looking very thoughtful.

"Yes, but with a 'd'," Rolf returned with a nod of his young head.

"Oh, aren't you clever?" Florence gushed.

Rolf nodded, looking a little shy, but glowing from the attention.

"Perhaps we should leave the new mummy and baby alone now and go and have a look about our lunch?" Florence suggested.

"Yes," Rolf confirmed. "Can I have chocolate?" he asked, smiling.

Florence rolled her eyes with a smile. As much as she loved her time with her hippogriffs, she considered, there was nothing half as wonderful as spending time with her true family.


	3. The Final Pages

**Written for:  
Mother's Day Event at Hogwarts:** Mrs Scamander and Luna Lovegood  
 **If You Dare Challenge:** 383\. Kick The Bucket  
 **Chocolate Frog Cards Challenge:** Barnabus the Barmy Prompts – Companion, Journey, Foolish, Mad  
 **Valentine-Making Challenge:** Confetti – Write about a celebration  
 **Words:** 607

* * *

 **The Final Pages**

Florence Scamander didn't really think her one-hundred-and-fortieth birthday was a cause for celebration. It didn't seem to be a particularly special number to her, and anyway, she was getting far too old to remember these sorts of things, much less celebrate them.

Her family, and in particular her great-grandson, would hear nothing of the sort, of course, and so here she was, sat in her own kitchen while his new wife, Luna, busied about preparing the food. Rolf was in the dining room setting the table. Florence could be as grumpy as she liked about seeing another year pass her by, but she had to admit being surrounded by her family always brought a smile to her face.

All the same, Florence couldn't help but feel tired. There was a fatigue setting in, deep in her bones, and it filled her with a strange sense of uncertainty.

"Has Rolf told you, Luna, that I've lived in this same house since my wedding?" she ventured to say with a sigh.

"Oh, yes. He has a lot of wonderful memories here," Luna returned with a smile, her cheeks seemingly aglow under her bright blonde hair.

"I always said I'd kick the bucket here, comfortably by the fire one winter's night, but it's seeming… it's seeming more and more impossible," she admitted, a thoughtful look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked, turning from the sandwiches to look at Florence.

"Oh, only that I'm getting old. Not old like you see me now; I know I'm a doddery foolish old woman, I mean really old. Like there's a chill in my bones and I'm nearing the end of my journey. I'm getting tired, Luna. Tired like I've never known. A tired old woman can't live in a big house like this on her own, not when there's a garden to tend and a leaky roof that needs fixing. Oh, I probably sound mad. Please, don't mind me," Florence said, waving the thoughts away with her hand.

Florence took in the thoughtful look on Luna's face, and was surprised that she didn't see pity there.

"Florence, growing old isn't something to be afraid of. It's only the next adventure," Luna told her.

Florence smiled, remembering how adventure used to feel to her, as something to be lived for. "Oh, I know, my dear. I know the taste of adventure. I'm just… I'm not sure I'm up to it any more. I don't think I've got it in me," Florence sighed, rubbing her hands together, feeling the bones of her fingers through her paper-thin skin.

"That's the wonderful thing about family, though, isn't it? When you've got a family, you always have a companion. You don't have to face things on your own. Florence, I know I've not been a part of this family for long, but I can already see how much it owes to you. This family wouldn't be what it is without you. You just go out there and look at them," Luna smiled. "Never think you have to face anything alone."

"Oh, Luna," Florence smiled. "You've got such optimism. It reminds me of my own youth. Never let it go, will you?"

Luna said nothing; she only smiled at the compliment.

"Florence, what you told me – would you mind if I spoke to Rolf?" she asked, not wanting to overstep her place.

"Whatever you think will help, dear," Florence replied.

Of course, she still felt the same way. She still had the same concerns. But something about Luna had made her want to talk about them, and something about talking about them somehow made them okay.


End file.
